Zinc electrode for gravity-batteries.



vexact description, referencwf -of a gravity TEN@ OFFICE.

emita Patent.

rai-@med sept. 26, 191e.

Application bled July $3? o. 110.433.

opter or brass. As shown, the7 l f-,omprises a ring like body porigat smaller in diameter than the mieter nl' the jar A, and outthmg lags or arms D which rest in: 1' sdfe ot" the jal'. The Zin@ 0I' mi o," the electrode is formed of .4 being live of these secmnsrlietion shown. Each of has embedded in it a copper .i iff whix-h forms a means for ehmrmle seotion to the frame To all Hlofm it may #mamar/n. .f'

Be it known that l` 'lnmvriiimrw' li. a Citizen of the llmtivl States: of Kms and a resident ol' Vameifn, in the wrom.. Camden aml Stateoi' New ler vented a eertain 'ew anfl 1 et ment in Zim .lllwtrmlrs tor if teries, of whieh the following is i the aoeoumanying l awings, wl part thereof.

My present invention relates tn '.x batteries of thv gravity type ami ha ir mlm i. shown, the Wue part E2 .of

general object the prov sion oi" an impro, Zini' electroile for ihis type nl batter-) More speriir nbierots of my inv to provide a Zim: eleeti'me l (f1 texjv which will permit all electrode to he effr'f'tirelf." sumetl in the battery. and 'si will resentfa relativeli;y la for Cxemiual action amil :n will ,be free from liability of hm' tions break oil and tall to the., botn. cell as the Zim: wastes away in iin, the battery.

A further object of the invention is to prx,- vide a Zinc eleetrofle construction which ya sesses a desirable mechanical etrength and stability while ai the same ti vf permitting: a ready renewal and an maar ami :Mmm-tv :uljustment of the :wti've wrtion ol' ahfflew trode without the4 use o-' imolal 'The various 'features mf iwffef" ohamrterize my invention are wif with partivulariy.' in the "lai `-'1 and forming a part of tl la rlwtsmle section passes upward i ,ffrrn-.pomlng passage formed in i are v Sfr ring portion of the frame D and `f ispnmiing boss D* formed on the -t the trame member. Each boss with a threaded socket for a '-:vrv'w bf." 'vfhifh the inserted end 0f ,rt l'44 of an eleotrotle section may and detaohably secured. Adas shown. the member D is also with a hollow boss D3 and with a se; W threaded in the latter for a linfa romlactor C to the mem- Weller-reti construction illustrated frais li are generally similar in shape .is whifxh would be formed by ial planes an annulus the which is approximately ihivkness. The sections E fr @,'wmmh as shown,y with small Y appr-r sides surrounding the ir the exactshape of the elecl?. is not material. it is esseni se elevtrode sections should be wl relalirly massive bodies, Vas wilma* than of pencil or plate" like ih walmart and massive form of gir: tiffally prevents any possi'- -r rin@ electmile section separating,v away in use, into sections ofv free from the supporting standing the ordinary nonzinc, wastage flue to soft For a, better umlerstamlingj of however and the mh'antaqeff iossvssm i r' i reference shoalal he had to the areompa inglr drawings aml .losffriptire matter which l. hm e illaetrateaY am?. desc; i., f ferred en'xhodiment of' my imwntiim.

40f the (lrawingst MFigure Vl if; a plan Kiev.' cell in whit-h m3' imprmwxl Figli is a wide l electrode is utilized; tion wlth the batter):

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the tlil'ewn f i hln; in the Zinc. This makes tions of one oi mi! imprintbaii'ii'ry man, earh section to remain it appears after being pnt 'mtv n Juv'vr ronsumed. If all the In the drawingm A repre. ing jar of a gravity nell. 12 the mi; trode at the bottom ol' the linefcondut-tor leading away trotle B. Mounted on the tup o. spider or trame member wasted away to nothin at im battery would then geil, with.. my construction it is .ibe to avoid this clioulty` 'se' that the diterent electrode f entirely consumed at dilen y withdrawn section gnumber of sections insures ent periods. F or example, in batteries used in railway signal work it is customary to inspect batteries at regular intervals ot six weeks or so, and at each inspection to make the necessary renewals and adjustments. In using my improved zinc electrode for such work, the size of the ,sections and the time interval between the regular periods for inspection and renewal should be so related that the complete wasting away ot an electrode section takes an a ppreciably greater time than that existing between suc cessive inspection periods. In consequence. if initially, or'at any subsequent inspection period, the electrode be composed of zinc sections of suitable unequal sizes, at the tollowing inspection periods one or more. but not all of the zine sections will normally be found to be completely wasted away provided that at each inspection period the completely wasted away sections are replaced by full sized sections. Should there be at any inspection period no cmnpletely wasted away section and no section large enough to insure against absolute or partial failure of 'the cell prior to the next regular inspection period, one or more of the larger partially wasted away sections may be temporarily withdrawn and l'ull sized sections substituted therefor. At some subsequent inspection period such a temporarily may be put back into use. In Fig. 3 I have shown the sections ot an electrode constructed in accordance with my invention as they may appear immediately after the inspection period in which the electrode sections E2 and E4 are in the full sized unwasted condition, electrode sections E and E5 are approximately two-fifths consumed, while the electrode section E" is approximately two-thirds consumed. At each inspection period it is readily possible to lower the partially wasted electrode sections as may be desirable to thereafter subject the partially wasted sections to the Wasting actionI of the battery Huid on their .upper ends, as well as on their sides and ,lower ends, and thus insure the complete wastage away ot' the entire sections.

The subdivision of the electrode into a a desirably large electrode surface area subjected to the action of the battery liuid, while at the same time the compact form of the electrode sections and the means employed for supporting a desirable mechani al strength and stability as well as ease of renewal and adjustment. The tact that the compact and massive form of the electrode sections makes it possible to have the supporting wires E2 in approximately vertical alinement with the centers of gravity of the corresponding sections, adds to the mechanical strength and stabilityof the electrode structure and also lessensthe liability of pieces of the electrode section breaking off and falling to the bottom ot' the cell in case of unusually nonuniform wastagc of the sections. The coinpact form of the electrode sections and the case with which they mav be adjusted makes it. a simple matter to keep these sections in the comparatively shallow zone of the battery lluid of agravity cell in which the active portion of the Zinc electrode should be located to insure its efiicient consumption and the avoidance of internal short circuiting oi' the cell.

While in accordance with the provisions ot' the statutes l have illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me. it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatl changes can be made in the form, of my invention without departing from its spirit, and that some features of my invention can be used without a corresponding use of other features.

Ha ving now described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

I. An electrode for a gravity cell comprisingr in combination a metallic support adapted to extend across the top of a battery jar and to be supported by the latter, and a plurality of compact relatively massive Zinc bodies each having a supporting wire embedded therein and detachably and adjustably secured to said support.

An electrode for a gravity battery comprising in combination a plurality of compact and massive zinc bodies each haing :i supporting wire embedded therein and a skeletonized metallic frame member adapted to extend acromv the top of a battery jar and to be supported by the upper edge of the latter and formed with sockets to receive, and clamping screws for securingA in said sockets the supporting wires of said Zinc bodies.

them insures LLEXVELLYN R.y JONES. 

